The Wolf Sea

The Wolf sea by Robert Low is a cracking good Viking adventure story of the type that some claimed are not written any more. This book follows the travel of Orm Bear-Slayer and his crew The Oathsworn begun in The Whale Road and finds them in Miklagard (Constantinople) without a ship and running out of money having reached there just ahead of the forces of Prince Yaropolk of the Rus. Orm is ambushed by men of the crew of Starkad, a warrior of the court of King Harold Bluetooth of the Danes, and the sword Rune Serpent is stolen from him. This is the sword that belonged to Attila the Hun and was buried with him but taken by Orm when he and the Oathsworn discovered Attila's tomb and the vast treasure it housed. Orm had carved into the hilt runes which would guide him back to the treasure and so, aided by a Slav merchant Radoslav, the Oathsworn set out after Starkad and the sword. Caught up in the machinations of a crooked Greek merchant (are there any other kind? I am talking about in fiction here before the writs start flying) and an ambitious Byzantine general Orm and the Oathsworn pursue Starkad encountering many dangers and not a little treachery on the way. OK OK it is Boys Own adventure with a bit of sex and swearing thrown in but I loved every minute of it and look forward with impatience to the next volume.